Reviews with content warning for Blood - The Stepford Wives

Reviews tagging 'Blood'

The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin

6 reviews

pantslint's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

I picked up this book because I've read that Don't Worry Darling (2022) was a poorly-done film copycat of The Stepford Wives. I love Levin's writing style; it's straightforward and easy to read, all the while being so descriptive that I can visually see the scenes and settings.

The premise is still so relevant (sadly) and the language and mechanics still hold up pretty well, so I can see how this book is a timeless classic. However, it's interesting to see how far feminist theory and female characters have come—it's clear in Joanna's characterization.

She's not a perfect feminist (no one is), though the way that she, Charmaine, and Bobbie are written feel a little bit like caricatures in present-day. They're bad housewives: messy, loud, and they shirk responsibilities in favor of their personal hobbies. They eat McDonald's cheeseburgers in the car and play tennis. There is such a sharp contrast between them and the robotic Stepford Wives, for emphasis on how different and liberated they are in comparison, I guess?

Though now, I'd say there's room for more nuance in feminist literature, and not so not-like-other-girls.

When Joanna meets Carol in the very first chapter, she observes how beautiful Carol is, and how perfect of a housewife she is. But Joanna's attitude irks the hell out of me.

No, she didn't know how it was, thank God. Not to be like that, a compulsive hausfrau. Who could blame Ted for taking advantage of such an asking-to-be-exploited patsy?

Like, ew, Joanna. Way to be a girl-hater. You don't have to hate housework and hate women who choose to be home to be a feminist... though I think this kind of characterization is just of-the-time!

I have to read more of Levin's work. And I don't think I'll watch Olivia Wilde's movie.

Content Warnings

its_kievan's review

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dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

A lot of people will call this “timeless”, and in some ways that’s true - Joanna’s

betrayal by her supposedly “feminist” husband

still hits just as hard now as it did 50 years ago. On the other hand, it feels distractingly 70s, and knowing the big twist beforehand undercuts a lot of the suspense. Neither of those is Levin’s fault, obviously, but it means the book ultimately feels a bit lacking.

Palahniuk’s introduction is… more complicated. He’s a lot more coherent than in his recent works (looking at you, Adjustment Day), and he does cite My Personal Queen Susan Faludi, but for the intro to a feminist masterpiece (TM) it would have been more interesting to hear from a woman.

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abmochapman's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

an incredible psychological thriller (apart from peter straub’s introduction, which — rather than introducing the novel — explains its entire plot)

Content Warnings

chrisljm's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A plot-based novel that’s pretty straightforward. I enjoyed the simplicity in which the themes came across and how it didn’t detract from the thriller aspects, especially towards the ending which I really liked. However, the thrill is also rooted in the fact that, despite the sci-fi elements, it is a very realistic outcome if men were given the opportunity. I think one of the most chilling parts was when Bobbie’s son observed his mother’s change in behavior, and instead of being upset and viewing it as a loss, he’s grateful for it. It was such a small, but important detail.

This was a short read but it was concise, well written, and so interesting, and the use of Joanna as the narrator was done brilliantly.

Content Warnings

michaelion's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I have the exact same opinion as I have for the 1975 film: Great, amazing, even almost perfect, but only 4 stars because the 5th star would've been if it was lesbian. Don't get me started on that 2004 travesty.

Content Warnings

zombiezami's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

I read this in anticipation of watching the film. The author does a good job of building up suspense.

However, I felt a bit cheated by the ending, not knowing how they "changed" the women.

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